The Chief of Berk
by LaylaDeMich
Summary: A year has passed since Hiccup has become the Chief of Berk. Its time for more changes to be made. Hiccup's battle of proving the true nature of Dragons has not ended. It all begins when he attends his first meeting with all the other Chiefs of the Archipelago. Hiccstrid. (Heather x OC) Might be rated M soon, or not.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Gathering**

…

Solport was the number one place in the Archipelago where you could meet many different kinds of people. With eighty percent trade and twenty percent pleasure, there was never a slow moment on the busy streets.

It was on this island that the seven Viking Chiefs of the North along with their heirs and second in commands have decided to hold their yearly meeting. Normally the heirs do not attend, but it was felt that it was better to make them tag along this time to give them some experience.

They sat in a circle around a spacious table. A large map lay on its center that marked off territories of each tribe. Almost every tribal leader was in attendance. Their axes placed in front of them as a sign of peace. All except the Berserkers and Hairy Hooligans.

A sense of wariness began to ghost around the room as they waited for the remaining Chiefs to arrive. The reason was almost justified if it were only because of the Berserker Chief. After all, you don't get a nickname like 'the deranged' for being sane. But by now they were somewhat used to it.

This time, there will be a new leader joining them for the former had passed away. The details still unclear. As far as they know, the new Chief of Berk was of age and doing an excellent job so far considering it was his first year on the job or so they've heard.

It wasn't the 'newness' that perturbed them per say. Rather it was the reputation of the man.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the Dragon Master. One more skillful than Drago Bludfist or so they've heard. It allowed a bit of fear to creep into their stomachs. The last time there was a Dragon Master present at a meeting such as this the entire building was attacked by dragons and burnt to the ground along with the leaders it sheltered.

They envied him a little although they would never admit it. The ability to train and use dragons is a dangerous and advantageous skill that was virtually unheard of until Stoick's son had managed to tame the unholy offspring of lightning and death and took care of the raid problems for everyone.

Although thankful, unlike Berk, the rest of the viking villages still continued to uphold their dragon killing even after the threat had been dealt with. Simply because they had lost too much to the beasts. They have become too set in their ways. The seed of hate had been planted and had three centuries to grow so much it rivaled Yggdrasil.

Most were wary of the new chief because of their prejudices against dragons, but not all. The time has come for when the poisonous growth must be purified by dragon fire and replaced with a seed of peace between the species.

There was hope for the younger generation, who because of Hiccup, had a much more peaceful childhood and could not fully understand the hate as well as their parents. And fortunately for the new Chief, this generation sat at the table as the heirs. A representation of a possibility of a much more peaceful future between Man and Dragon if only it could be shown.

And it seemed he already had an ally.

"I don't see why everyone is acting like this," said Camicazi, heir of the Bog Burglar tribe, breaking the silence. Big Boobied Bertha shot her daughter a warning glance but did nothing more.

"I mean this is Hiccup. We've all met him when he was a kid. How much harm could he be?" The other heirs seemed to share a knowing look as if she actually had a point. Camicazi had fond memories of an intelligent skinny boy in her childhood. They had been good friends until the responsibilities of life rendered them no time to nurture said friendship. She'd always imagined though, that Hiccup would be a good ally to have in the future. She just never considered that he would be the first of them to take over as a Chief.

"Well young one, we have not seen the Haddock boy since he was ten years old.," Loga, Chief of Tepi tribe said, giving her a scathing look. Camicazi narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing, not wanting to create political trouble for her mother by decking the man over the head for his disrespect.

Loga chuckled and continued, "People change. Especially in eleven years. We don't know what kind of a man he has become. Befriending those devilish beasts?" A look of disgust contorted his face. "The only good dragon is a dead dragon." He repeated a phrase he has said many times before. Why? No one really knew his reasoning. But it had at some point become clear that it was an inflection from a past experience. "Who's to say the Haddock boy won't become a problem when he gains too much power?"

Intentionally or unintentionally, Loga had voiced another fear among the leaders that, until this moment, they had not dared to consider. It was no secret that Berk had grown in power and has been seeing mostly prosperity ever since they began co-habitating with dragons. Now that they fully considered the kind of power Berk has gained from having dragons, some of the chiefs paled.

Hiccup could easily takeover any one of their villages with ease.

They were sitting ducks. No matter how strong they were they were no match for an army of dragons.

They heard exclamations of surprise from outside and then what sounded like a light tap on the roof. They looked at each other in confusion, tensed and grabbed their weapons, but before they could comment or investigate the door opened revealing the topic of their conversation.

...

"Are you ready Milady?" Hiccup asked his wife, Astrid, and wrapped his arm intimately around her waist. It was time to start their flight to Solport. They were just waiting for Heather to meet them at the docks. Because Heather was actually older than Dagur, she was made the rightful Chieftess of the Berserkers when she returned so she would be attending the meeting while Dagur took care of things on their island.

Valka stood with them. Cloudjumper loyally stood by her side and seemed to be conversing with Toothless in their own dragon-ish way. Valka looked around and still couldn't really believe it. Dragons and humans living together in harmony. She smiled at the young couple and remembered her own memories of being a happy newlywed with Stoick. Fishlegs was there too with Meatlug. He wanted to see them off, particularly Heather, and reassure Hiccup that he, Gobber and Valka would take care of things while they're gone.

"I'm good. Are you ready? This is your first meeting with all the other Chiefs." Astrid's hand was massaging the nape of his neck and smoothing through his messy auburn curls.

Hiccup nodded and nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek, "I don't think it will be bad. We're just renewing the joint treaties between the tribes. We'll most likely bicker about trading goods." He stopped to give it some more thought. "I am worried about how people will react to our dragons. Maybe we should have just taken the ship?"

"Too late babe. It takes four days by ship and five hours on dragon back. We need to get there TODAY. Besides they know Berk's opinion of dragons. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that we brought them."

And as always, she was right. They were more productive like this anyway. Hiccup sighed, kissed her cheek and held her closer. With her body molded to his side like this, he cannot help but think of the passion they shared the previous night. Astrid had taken charge, he was completely at her mercy, made him beg, curse and cry from the pleasure and force of their mutual love for one another.

They were a team. He and Astrid. Equals. The chiefs of the other villages will not be expecting him to bring his wife. But she wasn't just his wife. Astrid was his second in command too. No one else would ever really fit. For five and a half years she's still the one he relies on the most.

It worked for them. They both knew Astrid wasn't the domestic housewife type when he proposed. And he had never expected her to be. She was a warrior and Hiccup wouldn't change that about her for anything.

It just so happened that Heather decided to pay them a visit yesterday so that the three of them could fly to the meeting together. And while Hiccup no longer held any ill feelings towards Dagur for his past deeds, he was still relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with him for the majority of the trip either.

Windshear and Heather arrived. She shared a small smile with Fishlegs before walking towards Astrid and Hiccup. "I'm ready." She told them. After saying goodbyes, they flew to the sky on their dragons.

"Oh Fishlegs, I've been meaning to ask you. We've never spoke about it before, but I know the other Chiefs aren't exactly happy about our association with dragons. Do you think Hiccup will be alright?" Valka asks, a worried line marring her forehead.

"Hiccup knows what he's doing." Fishlegs states confidently, "short of a few sharp words and uncomfortable questions they can't attack him without inciting war which is a risk they will not take. He's got Heather and Astrid for support. He should be fine." He tried to sound reassuring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **No more dragon blood**

...

As they flew over the waves, they could see Solport fast approaching from afar. The island was in the shape of an 'X'.

"Wow. It's that big?" Astrid said. The three of them started to circle the island.

"It looks like there isn't any forest for us to hide our dragons." Heather noted, feeling a bit concerned.

Indeed. There wasn't one part of the island that didn't have a building.

"It'd be too much trouble to land on a nearby sea stack and travel on foot. We'll have to land in town." Hiccup said.

"Won't that attract too much attention? I've never seen so many people occupy an island." Astrid asks.

"It won't be too bad. There aren't many dragons in this area. Its one of the reasons this place was chosen for the meeting. The Red Death never bothered with this place either so the natives don't have much experience with dragons. They won't be likely to hurt them." He said.

"Wow. I might stay longer than I thought," Heather said as she saw nearly a hundred shops that were filled with weapons and other similar interesting goods.

Hiccup searched the town and found the Guda Mari. The Guda Mari was one of the largest buildings in Solport and is often used by important individuals to hold meetings. This was where the Chiefs were meeting up. "Let us land there."

As the three riders descended, they glided over the market place causing some people to gasp in shock and others to stare in astonishment at the dragons and those who were able to ride them. Other travellers regarded them with a little fear knowing how dangerous dragons could be.

They landed in front of a hexagon fountain that had stone statues in the shape of women riding horses in its middle. It was often guessed that it was the Valkyries. When they dismounted their dragons, a crowd had gathered around them.

"Was is it bud?" Hiccup heard Toothless start to release low growls from his chest. The black dragon wrapped his tail around Hiccup protectively.

Unknown to the dragon riders, Toothless had picked up a familiar scent. A scent that he recognised from his time before he met Hiccup.

"Maybe it's all the people?" Astrid questioned, equally mystified by Toothless's behaviour. Stormfly and Windshear appeared to be fine.

"I don't think so." Hiccup frowned, "It'll be okay bud. We won't be in there for long." He placed a comforting hand on Toothless's head and the dragon crooned.

The crowd kept a safe distance as they watched in silence as the three strangers march into the Guda Mari. Stormfly and Windshear were told to guard from the rooftop while Toothless refused and chose to make himself comfortable at the entrance of the building.

The air was thick with tension inside as the trio was met by piercing inquisitive eyes and armed warriors. Hiccup rolled his eyes. He expected as much. "Well. Isn't this such a heart-warming welcome." He said with sarcasm dripping off his tongue as he eyed thirteen of supposedly the most strongest and respected Vikings in the entire Archipelago with a raised eyebrow.

Camicazi snorted, set her weapon down and relaxed in her seat. The other leaders and their companions slowly followed, then examined the man and the two women with ill hidden curiosity.

This was Hiccup? He looked so... different. The boy had clearly grown out of his awkward stage. Instead of the small weak child they remembered, here was a confident and powerful young man. Although he still looked to be on the skinny side compared to the other Chiefs, you could tell he had muscle.

He wore the traditional chief's cloak, but it was different than Stoick's. It was made of black leather and instead of the symbol of a dragon impaled on a sword, it was clearly a white night fury in a circle. Underneath, he wore his flight suit and armor.

"I'm Hiccup Haddock. Chief of Berk. This is my wife and second in command, Astrid." Hiccup gestured to the slender beautiful blonde at his right side. Astrid gave them a nod in acknowledgment.

Hiccup thought he recognised a few faces. He saw Camicazi who sent him a small smile and felt nostalgic.

The leaders then looked at the raven haired girl on his left and wondered who she was. There was a fierce and intense way about how she carried herself and regarded them. Heather wore her signature armor made from Windshear's shedded scales as the dragon grew and also wore the Berserker's traditional chief's clothing with the symbol of the Skrill.

"I'm Heather. Long lost elder sister of Dagur and Chieftess of the Berserkers." Heather felt amused when the other leaders looked at her in shock. The youth around the table looked at her incredulously. What had happened to Dagur? It wasn't tradition to allow someone leadership when there was already an acting chief.

Loga's distaste grew now that another female was in charge while Camicazi and her Mother sported pleased smiles at Heather and Astrid, happy that they were no longer the only females in the room.

The trio sat down on the remaining seats. Astrid and Heather set their axes in front of them. The rest looked on in confusion as Hiccup grabbed something off his calf and set in front of him what looked like the hilt of a sword, but not quite so.

"Hiccup," one of the Chief's drew the young man's attention, "this is a map of the Archipelago," he gestured to the map on the table, "the markings represent each tribe's territory. Have you claimed any land for Berk?"

Astrid glanced at Hiccup and squeezed his hand in support under the table. They had both decided to be truthful about this. But that didn't erase the anxiety they felt that the other villages would try harm the dragons.

"Yes, in fact I have." Hiccup drew a circle on the map where there was a large body of water, "there is an island there that I've claimed for our dragons." The place where he circled was where his Mother's nest used to be. Now it was used as breeding grounds.

While most of the dragons have moved to Berk to accept Toothless as Alpha, it was becoming too crowded so they had to send others off to this island. "I'd recommend you not disturb this island as the dragons who live there don't like strangers. And let me get something clear first," Hiccup's gaze hardened as he appraised the leaders in the room, "if I find that this island has been used for your hunting grounds, I don't care who you are, these dragons are under our protection, and we will retaliate."

"Oh, is that a threat boy?" Loga spat the words out and leaned on the table, trying to look intimidating. Loga's son, Rogun, sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his glossy black hair as if to say, 'seriously Dad, now?'

Hiccup stared him down with a hard glare, "what do you think?" The leaders looked in shock at Hiccup. They expected the boy to cower. Loga was big, almost as huge as Stoick. The boy's glare made them uncomfortable, it almost looked feral. It was like being stared down by a dragon.

"You should know that we Berserkers have allied with Berk. If at any time they call us for help, we wouldn't hesitate to give it." Heather added.

"You'd defend those dragon lovers? They are practically traitors to humanity! They've thrown their lot in with the devil."

Heather stared at him coolly, "careful, I'm one of those dragon lovers." Her fingers twitched for her axe.

Loga laughed, "of course you are. Why else would you side with them?"

Hiccup had expected this kind of reaction. He studied the others sitting on the table. Most of the Chiefs looked like they agreed with Loga. Big Boobied Bertha simply looked apathetic. But wait, there's the reaction he wanted. Hiccup fought the urge to grin. All the heirs at the table, most of all Camicazi, looked downright uncomfortable and maybe a little shameful. But they also regarded Hiccup with a little interest.

The Bog Burglars never had dragon problems as bad as the others. Maybe it was because they lived closest to Solport. Also, they were a village of thieving woman. They were wealthy and didn't rely too much on their livestock except for around winter time which is when dragons were fairly scarce. Hiccup knew they would be the first on his list to change their ways towards dragons.

"Dragons are not what we thought they are." Hiccup said simply, he wasn't directing his words to the leaders but to their heirs. Not that they needed to know that, "Everything you've been taught about them is wrong. Dragons can be kind, intelligent and loyal creatures. My best friend is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. As we bonded, not once has he tried to kill me. For the last six and a half years, all he's done is protect me."

"Enough," said Thrud, Chief of Skuldor, banging his big hands on the table before anyone can voice their disagreements, "let's just do what we came here to do! I didn't come here to listen to you try to intimidate anyone Loga or Hiccup try to justify the dragons."

"He's right." One of the Chiefs said. "We gathered here to discuss a treaty for peace. To avoid war at all costs," the Chief's eyes shifted to Hiccup warily, "seeing as it's a point of contention, does everyone here agree not to cause harm to the lad's dragons?"

Everyone reluctantly said, "aye" around the table. All except Loga. Hiccup still glared at him until the man sighed and said, "aye."

"There's another thing." Hiccup said, "I know it has been tradition for us to sign treaties in dragon blood." He could see they already guessed where he was going with this, "I refuse to do so."

"And so do I," said Heather, "we've made peace with the dragons, we will not use their blood."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Stay at a Tavern**

...

"Well today could have gone so much worse." Astrid commented as she and Heather were browsing an armoury shop. Toothless refused to leave Hiccup's side and the people of Solport were too skittish around the dragons. So Hiccup decided to stay with the dragons on the rooftops as they stealthily followed the girls.

"Tell me about it. It was all I could do to not throw my axe at a particular annoying Chief. It's like he was trying to cause trouble. I've never seen Hiccup like that before. When did that start?" Heather asked.

"A few weeks after he became Chief. He uses that look when he wants the council to back off. They are already pressuring us for an heir." Astrid huffed.

"Don't you want kids?"

Astrid cleared her throat, "of course I do. But not now. I've only been married for six months. I just want to enjoy it being just me and him before a child takes up our time."

Heather sighed, "I know how you feel. My tribe wants me to marry soon. And I mean SOON, but ugg." She rolled her eyes.

"You know, I always thought you and Fishlegs would be together."

Heather smiled, "I thought so too. But we ended up just being really good friends. He's happy with Ruffnut. Oh look at this!" She picked up a bow. The bow was light and styled with some kind of black ink design swirling around it. "I've never seen a bow like this before." She passed it from one hand to the other and pulled the string back to test its strength. "It's lightweight too! This is exactly what I've been looking for."

"You have a good eye miss," the shopkeeper eagerly approached them. He was a large round man who looked to be in his early fifties, "that was sold to me by a skilled Irish blacksmith. It was meant to be a weapon for their monarch. But sadly it was declined because the man had wanted a Saber instead. It's brand new and of top quality."

"How much is it?" Heather asked warily, knowing that it was probably expensive.

"About ten gold pieces." Astrid and Heather gaped at him. That was WAY too much for a bow. Heather bit her lip in indecision, it was a really nice bow. Astrid pulled her to the side and shook her head furiously, "Heather that is a rip off if I ever seen one. How do we know he's telling the truth? Besides, I'm sure it only looks good. How would it fair in a fight?"

Heather sighed, Astrid was probably right. She faced the shopkeeper and watched as his face dropped when she shook her head. "No thanks."

They left to go search the streets for a different stall.

"So, no one on Berserker island that you like?" Astrid asked.

"They're okay I guess."

"Heather?"

"It's just. I don't like any of them like that. The guys are either seven years too young or ten years too old. I think I'm going to marry someone from a different tribe." Heather cringed.

"Oh Heather," Astrid felt sympathetic. When a Chieftess couldn't find someone to marry from their own tribe, a marriage contract was to be made from another tribe with either the heir or their best warrior.

"Yeah. Not the best thing to do right now. And considering my options..." She thought about how the heirs had sat at the table looking at her as if they couldn't believe she was Chieftess. "Woman have a hard time in a position like mine. The person I choose must be able to lead the tribe with me. Not try and takeover just because I'm expected to be homemaker."

"Hey," Astrid squeezed her friend's shoulder as if trying to lend her strength, "if all goes well, it might not be so bad."

"I hope so."

"Maybe we can find you someone on Berk."

Heather raised her eyebrow, "like who? You better not say Snotlout."

Astrid almost puked in her mouth, "I wouldn't do that to you. How about Tuffnut? Even he managed to mature a little these past years... Or not." She said the last part after seeing the disgruntled look on Heather's face.

...

The wind started to pick up and become stronger. Hiccup looked up at the sky. "Looks like a storm is coming."

Toothless growled and crouched low, his ears twitching every now and then. "Shh Toothless, its okay," Hiccup stroked his dragon's head, "I haven't seen you act like this since..." He remembered the whispering death that his dragon had held a grudge against.

"Oh. Oh! Ah okay bud, is this another dragon you have a grudge against because we can work this out togeth-" he was cut off by Toothless firmly shaking his head in the negative. Hiccup frowned and examined his dragon's eyes. They were anxious and... "Toothless are you scared?"

Toothless whined and nudged Hiccup's chest. The dragon stared off into the horizon with an agitated expression. "There's nothing there bud. Come on, let's get the girls and find shelter from the incoming storm."

Hiccup knew his dragon. This wasn't nothing. He cast a worried glance to where Toothless had been staring off. "We'll deal with it when it comes bud."

...

"The meeting was just as tense as you said it would be," Astrid commented as she started to remove her pauldron and gauntlets. She sat on the edge of the bed while Hiccup lay flat on his back behind her staring at the ceiling with his arms resting above his head. Toothless was sharing a basket of fish with Stormfly at the corner of the room. The trio had gone to spend the night at a tavern. Heather had the room next to theirs.

"Yeah well, I'm just glad things didn't turn physical. The treaty is signed and they are willing to respect our boundaries." He said.

"Not all of them." She turned around to face him. "Chief Loga may turn out to be a problem. I have a bad feeling about him." Astrid pursed her lips in thought, "we need to attend the feast tomorrow and get to know them better. Try to establish some sort of trust. They looked too wary of us."

"You're right." He sighed. "Are we doing the right thing Astrid?"

"Are they?"

Hiccup frowned and was quiet for a moment before answering, "what some of them are doing, what all of them might be doing soon will never be right. I can't let it go on."

The bed dipped as Astrid crawled over to him until she was leaning over him with her arms either side of his head and her body pressed to his. She cupped his cheek in her hand and searched his eyes. Her fingers smoothed out the frown on his forehead. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Oh gods, Astrid. What if I can't change their minds?"

"You will. If there's anyone who can, it's you." She rested her head against his chest and his hands went to her waist.

"I mean. Look what good that sort of thinking did with Drago. I was stupid to believe he would stop if I tried to convince him how dragons really were. Because of me my dad died -Ow!" Hiccup winced when he felt Astrid slap his shoulder hard.

"That's for the self-blame. It wasn't your fault." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Drago was different. He didn't care about anything but his own gain. He wasn't a chief who was responsible for the wellbeing of his people. Hiccup, these Chiefs are just people like us who want to protect their own. And what about three years ago when we were fighting Viggo and the dragon hunters? You didn't try to change their minds. Drago was no better than them." Her fingers started to play with his hair, running through his tousled brown locks and sending a shiver down his spine.

"I know that now. I didn't try to change their minds because I saw what they did to dragons when I found the dragon eye. I couldn't give them the knowledge to be able to capture more dragons." Hiccup hugged her to him, "what would I do without you?"

"Worrying over nothing."

"I wouldn't call this nothing."

She slapped his shoulder again, "You know what I mean. The Bog Burglars didn't seem to mind us being there as much as the others."

"That's because Camicazi and I are old friends."

"Oh," her eyes sharpened to his and her fingers playfully tugged at his hair in warning, "and why don't I know this?"

Hiccup gave her a sheepish smile and kissed her, "sorry Milady, slipped my mind. I think out of all of them she would be the most supportive."

"Mmm," she hummed and reached to kiss him. His hands ran down her sides before settling to massage her thighs. Before the kiss could deepen the walls rattled and shook. A loud bang was heard from outside.

Hiccup broke their kiss, "what was that? It didn't sound like thunder. The ground is shaking."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **A New Type**

...

He had thought that he had seen every type of dragon there was to be seen. At least on their small corner of the world. But it was silly to think, even for him, that he had. I guess when you haven't seen a new species of dragon in a long time you tend to become used to only what you have seen.

What Hiccup saw when he rushed out the tavern doors with Astrid, Heather and the dragons hot on his heels, was not just a new Dragon. Nay. It was different from anything they have seen before.

It was big. Well, maybe 'big' wasn't the right word to describe this creature. Its body was snake-like and resembled something like a Screaming Death, except that it was smooth-looking. Almost like silk. 'Long' seemed a more suitable word.

Hiccup estimated that its body must span at least ten metres when uncurled. He counted six wings that had the same wingspan of a Gronkle. On its sides, it had fish scales and fins. A tidal class. Must be. Although it might be a boulder type. Or... could it possibly be both? Unlikely. They've never seen a dragon that had characteristics of both classes.

Amongst the screaming locals he saw that some kind of blue ice covered the ground and some people were trapped in place, their feet frozen to the ground. Upon closer inspection, it didn't seem like ice at all. It reminded Hiccup of death song amber.

Odin. Hiccup cursed when he noticed that among the trapped Civilians were Camicazi, Rogan and Chief Thrud. They weren't even wearing their armour.

The new dragon roared, revealing a mouth full of spiky teeth. Its longest teeth were its two fangs. The two helpless heirs and chief let out a cry when the new dragon stalked closer to them.

"Toothless. Plasma blast!" Toothless shot a blast in front of the new dragon to stop it in its tracks.

Its grey eyes snapped angrily in their direction, seeming to land on Toothless. It gave Toothless a long contemplative look before licking its lips as if Toothless was something to eat.

Oh gods. They had a dangerous dragon on their hands. And it did not look friendly.

Beside him Toothless became agitated and released a furious growl and his spines started to glow a bright blue as he switched into what Hiccup dubbed as his 'Alpha mode'. Then it clicked in Hiccup's mind. This was the dragon that had his best friend on edge ever since they arrived.

He mounted Toothless and said, "we have to get this Dragon controlled! Astrid, Heather, get your dragons to box him in from the sides so that he doesn't escape. And be careful of the blue ice. Toothless and I will try to make him submit under the Alpha's influence."

The girls both gave Hiccup a nod before mounting their dragons and taking off.

"Toothless, barrel roll, multiple blast!" Hiccup and Toothless spun and shot three plasma blasts in front of the 'Ice Death' to prevent it from advancing on the civilians that were trapped.

"Woah!" They dodged when the Ice Death blew blue ice at them. Instead, it hit the statue on the fountain and instantly hardened.

Astrid and Heather came up from either side of the Ice Death. Stormfly shot spikes causing the dragon to back away from the crowd. Windshear sliced a stone pillar causing it fall and separate the dragon from the trapped civilians. They both boxed the Ice Death.

Hiccup patted his dragon's neck and motioned for Toothless to do his thing. Toothless landed in front of the Ice death, released an intimidating roar and his eyes turned to slits while making eye contact with the Ice Death. Everyone watched with bated breath.

And nothing.

The Ice Death stilled, its eyes unseeing before it shook and cocked its head to the side, as if in amusement. There was something sinister about this dragon that did not sit well with Hiccup. The only other time he felt this way was when he discovered the Red Death. The Ice Death took a deep breath before spitting ice at the night fury.

"HICCUP!" The girls screamed in alarm.

Luckily, thanks to Toothless's lightning fast reflexes, they were able to dodge just in time. Toothless shot two plasma blasts at the Ice Death who backed away.

"It didn't work," Hiccup said incredulously. What kind of a dragon was this? "Okay. Plan B. We'll have to drive it out the old fashioned way."

Just as soon as he said that, the Ice Death dived and drilled, creating a muddy hole in the ground it disappeared into.

The dragon riders looked at each other in confusion before landing near the hole.

"What was that thing? I would say Dragon, but I'm not sure. Why didn't Toothless's Alpha influence work?" Heather questioned.

"I don't know," said Hiccup, "It's strange. I think this thing might be in a class of its own."

"Mixed class," Astrid murmured, "it was like water and earth."

"Exactly."

"Why do you think it left?" Asked Heather.

"There could be a number of reasons," Hiccup sighed, "none of which are clear. It might have realized the odds were against it so it left to recuperate. It could be waiting for a better chance. It seemed fairly intelligent."

"But why is it here in Solport? Dragons don't come here. There is a reason this thing is here." Astrid pointed out.

"I'm with Astrid on this. You don't think anyone brought him here do you?" Heather asked.

"I'm not ruling out the possibility. We'll need to investigate this in the morning." Hiccup said even though a bad feeling began building in his stomach. Who? Drago? They knew he was still out there but this seemed a bit strange.

"We'll need help. I'll send word to Fishlegs via Terror Mail." Astrid said, before going back to the Tavern for her satchel that housed her Terrible Terror.

"Ah, Hiccup?" A familiar woman's voice called from the other side of the fallen pillar.

Hiccup jumped over the pillar to see Camicazi and the others still trapped in the blue ice. "This is kind of embarrassing. How about helping your old friend out of here huh?" Camicazi said, looking rather miffed from her situation.

Big Boobied Bertha and Loga were there too looking irritated. They had both tried freeing their children with their axes with no luck. Besides the large crowd that had gathered, the other heirs had been watching Hiccup and the girls in rapture. They had never seen anything like it before.

"And me too, if you don't mind," said Rogan.

"Sure. I'll free all of you in just a second," Hiccup said, walking over to them and reached down to take inferno from his leg. Toothless followed him close from behind while eyeing the hole warily. Heather stayed by the hole in deep thought.

"Keep your beast back," Loga glared and motioned his axe at Toothless who growled at him in response.

Hiccup wanted to roll his eyes, "put your axe down. He won't hurt anybody. Everyone, meet Toothless, my Night Fury." He pressed a button at the side of inferno. It elongated and lit up in flames making everyone gasp.

"Stay still."

"Like I have a choice?" Camicazi grunted, her legs were beginning to feel prickly.

Hiccup smirked and cut through the blue ice like butter as he outlined her lower body. As soon as she was free, Camicazi sighed in relief and began stretching her legs, "now that was a dragon for ya."

"I'm back," Astrid said, walking over to them. She had put her armour back on. "I brought knifes and Monstrous Nightmare gel."

Hiccup nodded, "let's free them before the Ice Death comes back."

"Ice Death? You named it already?"

"Yeah. It looked like a cross between a Screaming Death and a Death Song. It appears to spit ice, but it's more like blue Death Song amber to me." Fishlegs would flip, Hiccup thought.

After they freed everyone from the blue ice, they retreated back to the Tavern for a good nights sleep.

...

Hiccup tentatively touched the blue ice that spiralled along the muddy walls of the tunnel that was made the night before. The blue ice looked like the scorch marks of a Typhoomerang. He passed the weight of his prosthetic to his good foot uncomfortably as he was heel deep in mud. Hiccup had to fight the urge to throw up because the air tasted like rotten eel.

Toothless released a low growl. The dragon disliked being down here even more so than his rider. Not just because his feet were covered in mud or that the stench of rotten eel floated in the air, but because he knew more than the others that the creature that made this tunnel was exceptionally dangerous.

"Just a little longer bud. Then we'll leave. You know, sometimes I wish you could talk to me. Then you can tell me why the Ice Death has you on edge."

The two continued to walk through the tunnel. It had been about twenty minutes since they entered. The tunnel itself was large and Hiccup could have just flown on Toothless, it would have been faster. But Hiccup didn't want to miss anything that would identify what he thought was a new species of dragon.

They had to stop because the tunnel continued into a pool of water. "Dang it. Dead end. Let's go back. Wherever that dragon is, he isn't on the Island anymore."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Preparing for the Feast**

...

The locals of Solport were shaken.

They were cleaning up the mess made by the Ice Death as best as they could. Some of them had thanked Hiccup for his help and others had kept their distance. At least they weren't afraid of Toothless as much as before. A few brave kids even had the courage to pat the dragon on the head with Hiccup's assurance that he doesn't bite.

Heather and Windshear were a great help in removing most of the blue ice with her tail whip but unfortunately couldn't cut any from finer objects without ruining it.

The island had lost some of its livelihood but as the preparations for the feast continued, their spirits began to lift.

A huge fire was being built in the most spacious part of the island. Dancers were practicing their aerobic moves, musicians were playing short tunes to set the mood and tables of food were made and barrels of mead and wine were brought out.

Hiccup sat on the bench near the statue that is still covered in blue ice. His hand stroking his non-existent beard and mind running a mile a minute. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder and smiled when he felt a familiar comfort settled in him that only one person could give him.

"I'm sure the answer will come to you when you least expect it." Astrid said, sitting next to him.

He sighed, "It usually does. I guess I've done what I could for now. We're out of Monstrous Nightmare gel aren't we?"

"Every last drop. This evening is the feast."

Hiccup nodded and grinned at her. He felt more confident about that since last night. "We'll do our best."

"I bet as soon as the other Chief's pass out drunk their heirs will be itching to speak with you. They looked pretty eager last night." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I am hoping for that."

It was sometime in the early afternoon when Snotlout and the Twins arrived. Hiccup and Astrid met up with them at the edge of the island.

"Awww we missed all the fun! Oh Loki why?!" Tuffnut lamented.

"Hey Tuff look at this!" Ruffnut circled the fountain that was still covered in blue ice, "blue Death Song amber."

"What in Thor's name happened?" Snotlout demanded, with his arms folded.

"The Ice Death happened." Hiccup quickly explained the previous night and what he found in the tunnel.

"Wow, so this thing might come back?" Tuffnut asked, a little excited.

"Yes. So for now, Snotlout, I need you and Hookfang to help the locals clean up the rest of the blue ice. And please try to keep Hookfang docile. These people are edgy enough. Ruff and Tuff, you guys get to patrol around the edge of the island for any signs of the Ice Death. Look for tunnels, blue ice or anything suspicious. Be back before the feast starts." Hiccup gave his orders.

"Awesome. You got it H." And the twins were gone.

Before Snotlout could complain, Camicazi appeared from the trail leading to the village and approached them slowly while eyeing their dragons and making Snotlout's jaw drop as he ogled her.

'Oh no, not this again,' Hiccup thought when he saw his cousin's sudden interest. Snotlout had gone from liking Astrid, to liking Heather, to liking Ruffnut, to liking Heather again and now it seems his focus has changed to Camicazi.

"Hey Chief Hiccup and Astrid. You guys are joining the feast this evening right?" She asked.

Hiccup took a moment to take in his old friend. Camicazi had grown out her blonde hair and it hung loose around her waist. She was a little shorter than Astrid. She also had a slim waist and rather large bust which was what currently held Snotlout's attention. Though it did nothing for Hiccup. In his opinion, Astrid's looked better.

He smiled at her and wondered if he should warn Snotlout about her. Nah, he'll survive. "Yes we are. Are you feeling okay?"

Camicazi cheekily smiled back at him, "of course I am. It'll take a lot more than that slippery flying snake to take out a Bog Burglar like me. And look at you! You grew up. We used to be the same height." She huffed.

"I wasn't going to stay short forever."

"Hey babe," Snotlout cut in with what he thought was his 'sexy' voice and he flexed his muscles, "how's it going? I'm Snotlout Jorgensen, professional dragon rider and the handsomest warrior you'll ever meet."

Astrid rolled her eyes. As if Snotlout's bragging had ever worked before. But to their surprise and shock, Camicazi didn't seem repulsed, instead she leaned into Snotlout's personal space and looked at him from underneath her lashes. "Oh is that so?" Camicazi purred.

Did Snotlout just blush?

It took a second for Hiccup to remember some of the traditions of the Bog Burglars. A tribe of thieving woman who never married. Hiccup had forgotten that it was normal for them to practice rather ...loose ways.

"What the hell? Did Snotlout actually..." Astrid was almost too afraid to finish that question.

"I'll tell you later." Hiccup whispered in his wife's ear.

He cleared his throat and gave Snotlout a pointed look, "didn't I just tell you to help the locals?"

Snotlout groaned, "fine," and stomped off.

Toothless regarded the new human with curiosity and began sniffing around her. Camicazi froze, her hand itched for her axe. The only reason she didn't swing her axe was that she knew her old friend wouldn't let his dragon kill her. So she swallowed back her nerves and stayed still.

"Ah ...Hiccup?"

"Easy bud. Don't scare her."

Toothless made his eyes big and gave Camicazi a gummy smile, making himself look like the cutest thing ever. Camicazi relaxed, seeing as the dragon didn't mean her harm. Which was ...new for her.

"So this is a Night Fury. I couldn't see him properly last night because it was dark. He's not as bad as I thought." She said.

"Are you going to give that back to Snotlout?"

Astrid blinked, "did I miss something?"

"Cami pickpocketed again," Hiccup said.

Camicazi pouted, "No, if he wants this back, he'll come and get it. But you're as sharp as ever Haddock," she produced a bag of coins that had Snotlout's initials on it, but then took on a more serious front, "Hiccup. I've been meaning to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Camicazi briefly explained what happened before the meeting had started yesterday and left them to their thoughts with a, "see you at the feast."

"Heh. Who knew they were that intimidated by me? They have nothing to worry about. I don't have any interest in taking over their villages. We already have our hands full with Berk," he said.

"Doesn't stop them from worrying I guess." Astrid said.

Fishlegs had already told them about this. Before Berk accepted dragons everyone was more or less on the same even playing field. Now Berk has become more powerful than the rest. If Hiccup took over a village, not only would it break the treaty, but Hiccup would become a Jarl. Just a step lower than a King.

Also, there hasn't been a King since the Royal family's blood line ended and the dragon raids first started. The Vikings broke up into separate tribes with their own leaders. Thereby creating a group of Chiefdoms who ruled the archipelago.

"They're worried that I'll bring back the monarchical system." Hiccup realised. It made sense. The Chiefs weren't just protective of their tribes, they were protective of their positions as leaders.

"The possibility is there. We do have the power to do it. No Viking village, except ours and maybe the Berserkers, could stand against a dragon armada. And of course, you have the Alpha as your best friend." Astrid said, scratching under Toothless's chin and earning a purr.

For a minute Hiccup allowed himself to think of what that could mean. If he took over the archipelago, he could make it safe for both dragons and people. But he shook the thought away, the risk was too great. War never solved anything. He would change their minds as peacefully as possible.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Nesting**

...

Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, Heather and the twins were seated at a table in a private corner at the Tavern's public lounge. Luckily, there weren't many people around to overhear them. The twins had just come back from patrol, earlier than was expected and for good reason.

"You found them scattered all over the ocean floor?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes! And on the side of the island. Tunnels all over. Like underwater Whispering Death holes." Said Tuffnut.

"Only cooler." Added Ruffnut.

"Oh gods," Hiccup cursed and gripped his hair as a simple fact dawned on him. Why didn't he think of it sooner?

"What's wrong Hiccup?" Asked Astrid.

"This is bad. There could be more than one of those things down there. But more importantly, I think they're nesting."

More curses sounded from their group.

"But Hiccup if their diet is anything like a Death Song, and they're building their nest right next to the island. You don't think that it eats people do you?" Heather said. She felt dread began to set in. "Last night, it trapped people in that blue ice. If we weren't here to stop it, I think that it would have eaten someone. Everyone's in danger."

"So wait, what's the plan? If there are dozens of those things just waiting for the right moment to swoop in and eat us we gotta do something!" Snotlout exclaimed. A group of men sitting on the other side of the room halted their conversation to cast him incredulous looks.

"Snotlout lower your voice! We don't want word of this getting around." Astrid hissed at him.

"Guys, dragons don't eat people." Hiccup said calmly, trying to ease the tension for them to think rationally, "they eat fish, insects, plants and some like the death song eat other dragons."

"But there aren't other dragons here Hiccup! Why would it come here to build a nest if there wasn't a food source nearby?" Heather started to get frustrated.

"Because last night, it looked more interested in eating Toothless than it did Cami or the other civilians. I don't know what it is, and Toothless won't admit it, but I know he was scared of this thing. That could be why the Alpha command didn't work. I think it wasn't intimidated by Toothless enough to submit because it viewed him as food."

This momentarily silenced everyone. They shared nervous glances and felt concern growing for Toothless.

Music began to play outside signalling the beginning of the feast.

"Be on your guard tonight and don't get drunk. We need to be prepared for more than one when it comes back." Hiccup said. Everyone except for Astrid nodded and left, taking it as their cue to leave.

"Hiccup, you don't think that this is why there aren't any more night furies do you?" Astrid asked. She rubbed his arm soothingly.

Hiccup clenched his fists, "I don't know. But I won't let anything happen to Toothless."

...

Rogan sat with his father on a log, a leg of mutton in both their hands. Rogan looked to be about fourteen Summers old. Easily the youngest heir among them. Hiccup doubted that the boy even remembered him like the others.

Loga was huge and with braided blonde hair that fell around his shoulders, blue eyes and various tattoos running down his left arm. Rogan on the other hand, had curly black hair and brown eyes. He wasn't huge but not skinny like Hiccup had been. More on the lean muscular side.

The two made Hiccup think about himself and his Father.

Or more accurately, his memories of him as a young boy. To him, Stoick had always been bigger than life. The difference in their physiques were so opposite that you'd never guess that they were Father and Son. But there are traits they both have in common.

They are both stubborn and protective of what they loved.

Hiccup took a sip of wine while he tried to concentrate on the festivities. He wouldn't be drinking much tonight since he wanted to keep his wits.

The musicians started beating on drums and foreign men with dark skin began to dance and juggle with fire.

One of them even blew out fire from his mouth like a dragon which was puzzling. Toothless had cocked his head to the side and warbled curiously from his place behind Hiccup.

If anyone noticed the Night Fury, they didn't say anything. They did stare, but fear had been replaced with curiosity. Everyone else's dragons were made to stay on the rooftops each with their own basket of fish to put the locals at ease.

Tearing his eyes away from the dancers, Hiccup looked around for the other heirs. He found most of them mingling while their parents were getting drunk on mead.

He saw Camicazi dancing with various men since the feast had started. Snotlout sat with a jealous frown having been rejected by Camicazi for a dance. Hiccup guessed his cousin hadn't realized he was robbed yet.

It was only Camicazi and Helgi who were the same age as him. Helgi was chief Thrud's son and also the one who Hiccup was most wary of. From what Hiccup gathered, Helgi was a skilled dragon killer. But what bothered Hiccup the most was that Helgi killed dragons for sport.

This kind of rising sport was the entire reason he was even attempting to change the minds of the heirs. So that they could realise the depravity that was becoming part of their everyday lives.

That wasn't even the biggest problem that was coming to them. There were people who got off of seeing dragons kill each other for entertainment. Though it only really happened outside the archipelago it was starting to spread too close to home.

One of Hiccup's biggest fears was that sooner or later, villagers who still hold a deep hatred for dragons will start hunting them for sport and pit them against each other in dragon fights. It was a sick and disgusting practice that Hiccup would stop at nothing to put an end to.

It was time to put his plan into motion.

...

 **AN: Woman's place in Viking Society Discussion**

Compared to most European colonies, it seems that Viking woman enjoyed some liberties in the eighth century. There has been a debate about whether or not 'shield maidens' actually existed because a lot of the evidence found were not all factual.

But recent evidence in 2017 (and this is coming from Wikipedia) that a DNA analysis confirmed that the human remains found in a well-furnished warrior grave in Birka, Sweden was female. I can only conclude that it was very 'rare' for there to be shield maidens and that most woman must have preferred not to fight in battle.

Women were expected to take care of the estate and children while the men worked or participated in raids. They did tag along if it was for exploring though. They were not allowed to participate in government. So the Bog Burglars are unusual but it works because their village is made up of woman.

I'm going to try and give this story some historical accuracy but history is going to be changed a bit because HTTYD created their own kinder ideal of what Vikings were like and I'm not going to change that.

Do you notice though the lack of female bad guys in the series? That makes Astrid, Ruffnut and Heather pretty special because they are seen as warriors. But I guess it's just a product of the times. Dragons after all are not like people, so I can only think that it was prudent that the women learn how to fight to defend themselves even if Shield Maidens weren't supposed to exist.

 **Feel free to correct me if you see any fault with the above discussion.**

 **Replies to your reviews:**

 **Thisizausername:** I'm glad you like those parts. I haven't read the books yet so Camicazi's character will be based a lot on what I find on the web.

 **guests:** a big THANK YOU to all the encouragement you've sent me, whoever you people are.

 **Until I update,**

 **LaylaDeMich**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Offe** r **: To Dragons Edge**

...

Helgi Fowel with his platinum colored hair, hazel eyes and muscular lean form is standing perpendicular against the wall. His Father, as the oldest of the Chiefs, is about to announce the treaty agreement.

In an island like Solport, the news would spread all throughout the Archipelago and beyond.

He had kept a wary eye on the Night Fury most of the evening. Studying it. He was surprised that the black dragon acted tamer than a housecat. How bizarre, Helgi thought.

Ever since the Berkian Chief arrived, Helgi had observed Hiccup with carefully hidden interest. He remembered the scrawny weakling Hiccup used to be and was more than surprised by his transformation into adulthood.

And just like everyone else, Helgi initially held a deep sense of irrational mistrust towards Hiccup. Though he was starting to feel that it was a bit uncalled for. No matter, The Scavengers have reason to be.

Afterall, Skuldor's Viking death toll was by far the most gruesome before the Red Death was defeated, but they also have the highest dragon head count to make up for it.

Furthermore, Hiccup's arrival almost paled in comparison to that of the arrival of Heather. The last female Chieftess was around eighty years ago, not counting the Bog Burglars. She must be a good fighter to beat her brother in a fight, Helgi thought.

Helgi sought her out among the groups of people and was disheartened to find her talking to Snotlout, but felt a little hope when she threw Snotlout through the air in a sudden burst of anger. Good.

As soon as she arrived Helgi couldn't get her out of his mind. Normally, he doesn't stalk women, but he had followed her around in the marketplace yesterday. His heart beat faster when he sensed her edgy nature. Embarrassingly enough, he had developed a crush all in the span of three seconds.

So he was dreadfully disappointed to find that she was a dragon sympathizer. Oh great Odin, why? If she didn't change her views, there was no way Helgi could make negotiate a marriage contract, his people wouldn't accept her.

Helgi was personally proud about his dragon head count. His father taught him everything that he knew and Helgi trusted him to steer him on the right path. Helgi did the right thing, he saved his people by slaughtering the creatures of Loki. Helgi delivered retribution. Helgi was a protector.

Wasn't he?

 _Dragons are not what we thought they are_. - Hiccup

Those words still echoed in his mind. Even though Helgi believed them to be untrue, it did things to his conscious, it spoke to something deep within him and for the first time in a long time, not since his first kill, Helgi had felt guilt.

Why? Could Hiccup be right?

The words Hiccup used to describe the beasts who have caused so much heartache made no sense.

Kind. Intelligent. Loyal. These were words meant for model citizens of society, not bloodthirsty beasts from Helheim.

When the supposed 'Ice Death' had trapped his Father in the blue ice, Helgi was ready to discard any guilt because the proof was right there again ready to cause more suffering. But then his Father was saved. By the Chief of Berk no less.

Helgi had never seen anything like it. A human controlling a dragon. He had silently observed the way Hiccup handled the battle. The unholy offspring of lighting and death had yielded to his commands and did its best to protect its master.

Not just Hiccup. Heather and that blonde as well. Their dragons protected them.

Interesting.

"Oi, Helgi, watcha doin jus standin there lookin like a statue? Drink with me!" Camicazi slirred as she stumbled in front of him.

"You drink too much for a girl. Leave me alone Cami," Helgi pointedly looked away from her. As expected, he heard her indignant huff followed by a hard slap to his shoulder.

"Grumpy! Jus coz I'm a bit tipzzzy dos nod mean I didn't notice yah staring at em the whole night."

Helgi glared at her. Dammit! He forgot about how observant she was. Comes with being a thief, he guessed. "I don't know what you mean."

She laughed and said a little too loudly, "you know EXACTLY what I mean."

"What are you guys talking about?" Liodonn , heir of Eagle Hills approached them with his usual happy demeaner. He was seventeen Summers old. His short red hair stood up straight as it tried to defy gravity. The young man always displayed a carefree nature that irritated Helgi for some reason.

"Nothing."

"Hiccup."

Camicazi and Helgi said at the same time before glaring at each other.

"Right. The new Chief. He's not as scary as I expected him to be." Liodonn said. The three of them then looked in the direction Hiccup was sitting with his arm around Astrid. "The lucky bugger has a HOT wife," he groaned. Camicazi punched his shoulder hard.

Just then Toothless pinned Hiccup to the ground and started to lick his face.

They heard an "arrg, you know that doesn't wash out' before Hiccup scratched a place under the Night Fury's chin making the dragon collapse in bliss.

"That night fury acts like a pet." Liodonn said in wonder.

"Who would've thought dragons could be tamed," Camicazi giggled, swaying unevenly on her feet.

"They can't be tamed, they're just monsters," Helgi scoffed, though his words lacked the conviction they used to have.

Liodonn raised his eyebrow playfully, "then what do you call that? Maybe we don't have to kill the beasts."

"Are you siding with them?" Helgi narrowed his eyes at him.

Liodonn held up his hands in defense, "I'm just saying. It would be pretty cool to ride one, provided that it doesn't kill me first."

...

A loud war cry boomed, causing every head in the vicinity to turn toward Chief Thrud who was standing in front of the huge campfire with a full mug of Mead in one hand and his axe in his other.

"I have an announcement to make!" Thrud said, his voice unnecessarily loud, already feeling the effects of alcohol setting in.

And we wonder why the English call us Barbarians, Hiccup thought with a wry smile as he petted Toothless.

"Solport is a special place in the Archipelago. Its not only the island of trade but the island where members from every tribe can be found, far and wide. There has always been peace between the tribes except for a few minor setbacks in the past, but we always sorted it out in the end. Today, a peace treaty has been signed." Thrud's eyes briefly met Hiccup's and narrowed before he continued, "we welcome a new Chief. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III of Berk. May there always be peace between us in the coming decade." Thrud washed Mead down his throat and shattered the mug on the floor. The crowd applauded.

 _"_ Was that a warning? _"_ Hiccup mused.

Astrid smiled and pulled him to his feet.

With their hands clasped together, they walked to the place where Chief Thrud had stood. Toothless followed. Hiccup took a deep breath before telling Toothless to use his echolocation so that the sound waves would catch everyone's attention. It worked. This time everyone stopped what they were doing and just stared. Even the music stopped. The heirs flocked to the front of the crowd to see him better.

Hiccup cleared his throat and spoke evenly, "Hi, everyone. I'm Hiccup. Chief of Berk. The dragon master. This is Astrid, my wife. And Toothless, my Night Fury. We want to discuss a few important things with you. First being, the dragon that attacked us last night. I've named it the Ice Death,"

People in the crowd shared anxious glances.

"I sent two of my teammates to survey around the island for any sign of the dragon, they've found holes in the ground along the sea stacks leading to underwater caverns." He let that sink in for a moment, "there's a huge possibility that there could be more than one as there were multiple holes. That could mean one of two things. One, they are nesting. This means that these dragons will be territorial, hence why they attacked last night. They want this island and will do anything to make sire we leave."

The crowd started to protest. "Quiet." Hiccup said firmly and held his hand up to silence them and was surprised when they did. Weird, I wasn't expecting them to listen to me that quickly, he thought.

"Your rep proceeds you huh?" Astrid whispered in his ear. Hiccup grinned and kissed her cheek.

Heather pointedly crossed her arms and Hiccup sighed, "And two, and this is not usually the case, they could be nesting here because there's an available food source, mainly us, Solport has no dragon population, so that makes this area easy to claim. And before you panic let me say this, dragons do NOT usually eat humans, we taste terrible to them. So if the Ice Death DOES want us for food, its tastes would be very singular."

Nobody dared to move as they processed this new threat. What were they going to do? They were done for!

"We'll be staying here an extra week to help you as much as we can." This seemed to help the majority of the crowd to calm, even for just a bit, "I'm sorry if I put a damper on tonights celebration. There's another thing we'd like to discuss. I know the Ice Death may have further darkened your perception of dragons true nature. And yes, there are hostile dragons, but most of them are peaceful and can be tamed,"

The chiefs brissled. But as if to prove his point, Toothless nuzzled and purred into Hiccup under his arm. Even a blind person could feel the close bonds these two shared. Again, Hiccup was surprised that everyone was listening.

Right now they need him, he realised suddenly. They won't scare him off because they know they don't stand a chance against a nest like this one without his help.

"After the Red Death was killed, the dragon raids have almost completely stopped. Doesn't that tell you anything? Its time that we stopped judging these amazing creatures and start to understand them."

Astrid squeezed his hand, a reminder that she'll take over now, "We have an offer to make all of you. As of next week, the new Dragon Academy of Dragons Edge will accept anyone above the age of fifteen to be a dragon rider." She said.

...

 **sorry for the late update. My cat died :(**

 **So I've been grieving for a while and on top of that I'm a student so projects have me busy. Overall its been a stressful month.**

 **Please review. I'd love some feedback.**

 **Reply:**

AtlasSky

Really? Good. I was hoping Cami wouldn't appear to be too OOC.

 **until I update,**

 **LaylaDeMich**


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